Encasement and fuel burner assembly

ABSTRACT

A HOUSING AND CONSEQUENT MOUNTING ARRANGEMENT FOR FAN, PUMP AND FUEL BURNER COMPONENTS, AND CONTROLS THEREFOR AND IN WHICH ENCASEMENT AIR IS CIRCULATED IN HEAT EXCHANGE RELATION TO THE COMPONENTS THEREOF AND INJECTED IN PREHEAT RELATION TO THE FUEL BURNER AS PRIMARY, SECONDARY AND TERTIARY AIR SUPPLY.

Sept. 20, 1971 L. G. MILLER ETAL 3,606,608

ENCASEMEN'I' AND Fm BURNER ASSEMBLI Filed Feb. 26. 1969 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 T10. 13; v v

J/OZ/M 6. M4456 ATTORNEYS INVENTORS Sept. 20, 1971 E ETAL 3,606,608

ENCASEMENT AND FUEL BURNER ASSEMBLY Filed Feb. 26, 1969 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEYS United States Patent Olhce 3,606,608 Patented Sept. 20, 1971 3,606,608 EN CASEMENT AND FUEL BURNER ASSEMBLY Lorin G. Miller and James H. Miller, both of 220 S. River, Eaton Rapids, Mich. 48910, and William W. Miller, 6022 Rolf St., Lansing, Mich. 48827 Filed Feb. 28, 1969, Ser. No. 802,583 Int. Cl. F23d 11/38 US. Cl. 431-121 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A housing and consequent mounting arrangement for fan, pump and fuel burner components, and controls therefor and in which encasement air is circulated in heat exchange relation to the components thereof and injected in preheat relation to the fuel burner as primary, secondary and tertiary air supply.

The present invention is directed to a new and vastly improved fuel burner and unitary housing element or encasement which includes mounting provisions for a blower, fuel pump and burner assembly and in such form as to maximize utilization of input air for cooling the powered elements with consequent extension of component life while preheating the air supply and providing induced draft for scavenging the heating system served and in reduction of corrosion of heat exchange surfaces.

So far as is known by applicants no prior fuel burner devices have utilized the enclosure and mounting arrangement herein expressed.

The purposes of the present invention include compact mounting or grouping of pump, blower and gun elements with flange mounting for easy service and replacement of parts while providing a blower system operable continuously, where desired, to maintain the heat exchange surfaces in a dry condition in avoidance of corrosion, to eliminate nozzle plugging and to provide a constant stream of air to the fuel nozzle and to allow simplicity of burner construction by making possible separate powering of the blower and pump thereby simplifying the control sequence of blower in respect to the pump.

Other objects of the present invention including economy and design simplicity will be appreciated by those skilled in the art as the description proceeds.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION An encasement or housing is provided in which are mounted a blower and blower motor as a single assembly, a pump and pump motor as a separate assembly and a separate burner tube selectively extendable from and collapsible into the housing. When thusmounted the enclosure or housing is fully closed except for air inlet apertures to the blower and an air outlet through the burner tube, and around the fuel nozzle thereof. The components, as described, are secured removably to the housing and are on axis paralleling each other but in spaced apart relation so that upon energization of the blower air is circulated within the encasement in heat exchange relation with all components in the housing prior to exhausttas primary, secondary or tertiary air through the burner tube. Controls allow the blower to operate prior to, during and after a burning cycle separate from the pump to scavenge the system of incompletely combusted gases and to dry the heat exchange surfaces in a furnace or the like in avoidance of corrosion of such surfaces. Combustion is enhanced and the nozzle protected from external plugging.

Hence, the structure is easy to assemble, separates all components, and provides proper air delivery with preheating, cooling and drying. As will be appreciated the delivering of air can be metered to the blower and hence to the gun by sizing of the aperture or selection of speed and/or capacity of the blower drive or motor.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an encasement and air delivery apparatus in accord with the present invention from the burner tube and nozzle side and with phantom line indicating the flow of air therethrough.

FIG. 2 is an end elevation of the device seen in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an elevation view of the device of the present invention from the air inlet side of the structure.

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the structure as seen in FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a cross section plan view taken on the line V-V of FIG. 3.

FIG. 6 is a cross section elevation view taken on the line VIVI of FIG. 4 and indicating the extendable feature of the burner tube and nozzle.

FIG. 7 is a partial cross section view of the blower assembly taken on the line VII-VII of FIG. 5.

SPECIFIC DESCRIPTION Referring to the drawings and more specifically to FIG. 1 thereof the invention is revealed best in the context of air flow. The air flow line is represented schematically in phantom line as entering the case or housing 11 from the rear, being circulated around and through the case I11 and the contents thereof to exhaust through the fuel burner tube .12 and concentrically around the fuel nozzle 13. Also seen are the tips 14 of an ignition element which is a part of the burner assembly. The case 11 provides a mounting base for an electrical control panel housing 15 and will be seen encasement of housing 15 internally houses the major mechanical elements in a fuel burner package in such a manner as to allow the air moving to the burner tube 12 to be circulated around and over separately powered fuel pump, burner elements and blower elements. This results in separate powering of blower and pump thereby simplifying controls and previously known mechanical linkage required for common drive of pump and blower and provides a positive constant flow of air to the fire chamber (not shown) and eliminates heat exchanger surface corrosion by allowing a continuing flow of drying air after the fire is stopped. The tube 12, as will be seen is adjustably extendable axially to accommodate a wide range of furnace structures and the components within the encasement or housing 11 may be easily and separately removed for service or replacement.

In FIG. 2 the arrangement of components for substantially flush mounting of internal components by means of flanges to the rear wall 16- of the case 11 is appreciated. The pump 17 is visible with its fuel suction line inlet 18 and its high pressure delivery outlet 19 connected by flexible hose conduit 20 to the nozzle pipe 2 1 which extends, as will be seen axially through the burner tube [12. The flange 22 provides support for the burner assembly, pipe 21, nozzle 13 and burner tube 12. The control panel housing 15 is conveniently secured to the case 11 on one of the sides 23 thereof.

The arrangement of elements in spaced relation secured to the case 11 is better understood by reference to FIG. 3 where the rear wall 16 of the case 11 is best observed. The case 11 is generally triangular in shape at back 16 and front (as seen in FIG. 1) and the corners or apices are rounded thereby functioning as internal air flow directors.

The wall 16 provides means for removably securing the pump 17, the burner assembly mounting base 24 and the blower (not shown) but supported by means of the' fasteners 25 inboard of the apertures 26 provided through the rear wall 16 of case ill and providing an air inlet to the blower. Hence, an encasement 11 is formed by back wall 16 and the parallel spaced apart front wall. The front and rear wall 16 are in registry each with the other and the wrap-around side wall 23 closes the case 11 except for the inlet apertures 26 and the opening in the front wall including the tube extension 12. All other apertures are closed by the mounting flanges 22 of the fuel burner assembly 24 and the flanges 27 of the pump 17.

In FIG. 4 the spaced relationship between rear wall 16 and front wall 28 is best seen as closed by the wraparound side wall 23. The fuel delivering or nozzle pipe is shown to axially extend through the burner tube 12 to the fuel nozzle 13 and between ignition electrodes 14. The assembly of pipe 21 and electrodes 14 is supported by the spider 29 in contact with the tube 12. Electrical leads 30 extend from the electrodes 14- to ignition terminals in the control box 15.

In FIG. the case 11 is cut-away to indicate the mounting of the blower 31 inside the case 11 and secured to the rear wall 16 by means of the fasteners 25. Flow baffle 32 extends intermediate the walls 28 and 16 serving as a flow director for air entering through the apertures 26 and thence by means of the vaned fan element 33 (squirrel cage) rotated by coaxial motor 34, over the motor and through the case 11 as best appreciated in FIG. 7, by the flow arrow. The wall 23 provides a scroll housing for the fan 33. The motor .35 for pump 17 is also in the enclosure 36 formed by the walls 28, 16 and 23. As previously described, the pump 17 is supported on the wall 16 by the flange 27 and hence the motor 35 is positioned in spaced apart relation to the case 11 and is cushioned in its support at the wall 16 by a resilient sealing ring 37 thereby closing the opening 38 and providing access for the motor 35 and base of the pump 17.

In FIG. 6 the burner tube 12 and burner assembly comprising fianged support base 24, pipe 21, nozzle 13, electrodes 14, spider 29 and leads 30 are indicated as axially movable or extendable from the case 11, the tube 12 being supported for extension on the cylindrical inturned flange 39 in slip fit relation about the tube 12. Thus two axial adjustments are possible. The nozzle assembly is extendable by axial extension or retraction of the pipe 21 through the boss 40 of the flange plate 24. The tube 12 is axially extendable or retractable with or without adjustment of nozzle position by slidably extending the tube 12 on the flange 39 as shown in phantom line. The spacing of the tube 12 at the base end 41 from the rear wall 16 allows air flowed by the blower 31 to enter the tube 12 and pass through the tube 12 and around the nozzle 13.

The FIG. 7, previously described by reference to the blower 31 and motor 34 and the FIG. 5 best describe the flow patterning of air further expressed in the phantom line seen in FIG. 1.

While electrical controls form no part of the present invention the control case is conveniently attached to the housing 11 to provide for conventional terminal connections to powered components i.e. the ignition electrodes 14, the pump motor 35 and the blower motor 34. This vastly simplifies the required controls for safety and economy. By the drive separation accomplished in the described structure operation of the motor 34 of the blower 31 is made wholly independent of energization of the fuel motor 35 for the fuel pump 17. These are coordinated or sequenced then by thermostats and relays as desired but the arrangement described allows the pump 17 to be shut down while the blower 31 continues to operate and procedes operation of the pump 17. This allows full scavenging of air in furnaces served by the described structure and materially extends the life of exchanger surfaces by providing a drying blast of air to a furnace to prevent corrosion of exchange surface after the pump 17 is shut down. Both automatic and manual controls are contemplated including override provisions as necessary. The apertures 26 may be shuttered for orificial control of air flow and the motor 34 may be controlled or selected as a speed in control of air volume desired.

Sizes of components in the presently described device may be expanded as necessary to suit particular capacities of installation. Improved combustion has been experienced along with longer component life consequent to cooling of electrical-mechanical components and consequent preheat of air flow. Where repair or replacement is necessary a component may be easily removed and replaced without substantial dismantling of the entire system. Nozzle plugging from polymerization at the nozzle tip 13 is substantially avoided by the separate function of the blower 31 from the pump 17.

Having thus described our invention by reference to a specific embodiment others having knowledge in the art will appreciate modifications and improvements therein and such modifications and improvements are intended to be included herein limited only by the scope of our hereinafter appended claims.

We claim:

1. A fuel burner and mounting comprising:

a fuel pump element and a drive motor directly coupled thereto;

a separate blower element and a drive motor directly coupled thereto;

an axially extendable fuel burner nozzle and flame tube assembly parallel axially to said blower element and said pump element and offset therefrom in spaced relation thereto;

an enclosure housing said blower, pump and burner assembly and providing a mounting means therefor and defining an air inlet opening through said enclosure to said blower and an aperture extendably supporting said flame tube assembly and through which said air is axially exhausted after circuitous passage within said housing in heat exchange relation with said pump and motor, said blower motor and fuel burner assembly and said fuel burner nozzle adjustably extending through a wall of said enclosure opposite said aperture and coaxial therewith. 2. The combination as expressed in claim 1 and including:

separate control means for operation of said blower ahead of and continuing after the burning cycle of said fuel burner whereby a purge of the burner is accomplished before and after each burning cycle.

3. A fuel burner encasement and component mount comprising:

a front wall;

an apertured rear wall 16 in spaced apart relation to said front wall;

a wrap around sheath element securing said front and rear walls in spaced apart parallel relation and with said walls defining an encasement;

a fuel nozzle and burner tube assembly centrally located within said encasement and adjustably extendable through said front wall, said nozzle adjustable through said rear wall, said nozzle coaxially within said tube assembly and said tube assembly in adjustable spaced relation to said rear wall whereby air from in said encasement moves through said tube assembly;

a pump and pump motor removably supported by one wall of said encasement;

a fan and fan motor separate from said pump and pump motor in said encasement removably secured to said rear wall of said encasement adjacent said apertures and spaced apart from said tube assembly 6 and said pump and pump motor whereby air is References Cited drawn through said apertures into said encasement, is circulated therein by said fan and is emitted UNITED STATES PATENTS through said tube independently of operation of said 2 720 91 10 1955 Spackman 431 31 pump and pump motor. 5 i 6 I 4. The combination as expressed in claim 3 and includ- 0942 7/1968 Khngberg 431 265x mg: CARROLL B. DORITY, 111., Primary Examiner separate control means for energlzation of said fan motor ahead of and continuing after the deenergizas, CL

tion of said pump and pump motor whereby the sys- 10 43 1. 26 5 tem is purged by said fan before and after pump use. 

